Answer by Rabbi Yosef Braun, member of the Badatz of Crown Heights:
Amirah l’nachri (telling a non-Jew [to perform prohibited work on Shabbos]) is an issur d’Rabbanan (restricted by Rabbinic decree) and is forbidden, unless there are specific extenuating circumstances.
Being kovea melachto (contracting his work) on a weekday to take place on Shabbos is an aspect of this issur.
In today’s age of internet orders and a host of shipping options, purchases can be delivered to our homes on any day of the week—and also on Shabbos. If the seller ships an item and it is delivered on Shabbos, is this considered amirah l’nachri?
1. Overnighted packages that will definitely arrive on Shabbos are a halachic issue. A possible heter (dispensation) applies when ordering from an e-commerce site, since in most cases the item is not being shipped directly from the seller, but through a third party. This is considered amirah d’amirah (lit., twice-over telling, i.e., one non-Jew relays instructions to another non-Jew) in which case there is more room for leniency, according to some opinions.
Some of the circumstances in carrier shipping that may also ameliorate the issur: The instructions for shipping were given before Shabbos and the workers handling the packages on Shabbos are not aware that the customer is a Jew.
Whatever the rationale, all agree that this heter applies only in desperate situations. Since the details of this heter are so complex and subject to dispute—and judging the urgency of any given circumstance requires an objective view—a Rav should be consulted on a case by case basis.
2. Regular shipping options usually include a span of possible delivery days, so that a Shabbos delivery is only one of a few possibilities. Even when choosing “expedited shipping”, there is no guarantee that the delivery will be made on Shabbos. Many online sellers provide disclaimers about express delivery “based on availability” or limited to “business days.” Even with regard to expected “2-day shipping,” there is always another possible date of delivery (Friday or Sunday). In these cases, there is also room for leniency.
(There is a debate among contemporary Rabbanim concerning a heter for sending a package via express mail or ordering express (weekday) deliveries that entail Shabbos work for the shipping company, with its own reasoning, beyond the scope of this discussion.)
Published on halacha2go.com
I learned that mail or a package delivered on Shabbos may not even be brought into the house until Shabbos is out, it’s muktzeh because it’s like an egg laid on Shabbos. The only heter I can imagine would be if it’s a lifesaving medicine.
I sell on Amazon using the “FBA” (fulfilled by Amazon) setup. The way it works is that I send all my items to Amazon and when orders come in, Amazon takes care of shipping them to the buyers. Their regular shipping actually does not ever go out on Shabbos and is not ever delivered on Shabbos. A buyer might request Saturday delivery (which costs extra) but as far as I could find by researching, since first of all I’m not involved (the shipping is set up and executed between Amazon and the buyer), and secondly, the order and the delivery… Read more »
The issue addressed here is from the buyers perspective. what about if you need to ship something Saturday delivery as an online retailer. from the shippers perspective.
I add to my address, in the optional ‘address’ second line, NO SATURDAY DELIVERIES. I ALSO ORDER FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE (OR JUST BEFORE SHABBOS IF I REALLY NEED SOMETHING MONDAY OR TURSDAY. )DOES IT HELP?? DUNNO, BUT I’VE DONE THE BEST I CAN
Comment #1 is not correct in all cases. There is leniency to open the package if it is known that a) the package did not cross the Tchum of the city [which, in NY, is a huge distance], b) it is known that the contents are not Muktzah, c) the package cannot be reused again do to being opened in a destructive manner.
… That one MAY NOT open mail or a package that arrives on Shabbos.